It’s a strange dilemma China has on its hands.  And most Chinese will probably never even see this blog due to the massive censorship on its hands.

We all know that China’s so polluted that their air makes Los Angeles smog taste like a crisp mountain stream.  So naturally, they’re really putting the push on to go green and get some more electric cars on the market.

Well, they’re not the only ones there, but China’s got a SERIOUS problem.  Where most of us have been driving cars for a long time, and are starting to seriously think about going green just by ourselves, the Chinese have not had cars all that long.  Well, not INDIVIDUAL Chinese, anyway.  Individual Chinese haven’t had cars all that long and now that they’ve got them, they mean to keep them.

Now along comes the government telling them, oh, yeah, I know you’ve had this car like all of six weeks but we need you to give it back to the state.  Oh, don’t worry–we have electric cars coming out.  When?  Um…soon.  And they’ll only cost as much as what you paid for the last car!  Subsidies?  Um…look…just get back to work, okay?  Or we’ll kill your children.  You know how this works by now.

It’s a tough road China’s got to drive to get its citizens to go green, and there are plenty of ruts and bumps in it.

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The Reva Electric Car Co. is bringing its act to New York, reportedly set to build a new fleet of electric cars to be situated in the Syracuse area. The company will be in cahoots with Bannon Automotive where they will assemble the three-door plug-in hatchback at a site somewhere in the Syracuse area. The plant is expected to be officially announced at a news conference and will open next year with an initial workforce of 100 people.

(Source) WKTV

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You may have already read our detail of the huge government grant that went to Fisker Automotive for its construction of their new electric sports car.  Well, what just came out in the Wall Street Journal is a bit of explanation as to the WHY behind it.

See, Fisker Automotive has a major name backer behind it; you may recognize the name  when I tell you it’s Al Gore.  That five hundred and twenty nine million is going to Fisker so they can build “a hybrid sports car in Finland that will sell for about $89,000″.

Naturally, Fisker cars are also backed by a whole lot of celebrities who all, interestingly enough, voted Democrat in the last election.  Fisker defends itself by saying that most technology starts out pricey, but eventually becomes affordable, and cites flatscreen televisions as an example.

Yes, this is true, but generally we don’t pay foreign flatscreen makers tax money to build them in the hopes that, one day, we’ll get to BUY THEM!  Oh, and those five thousand jobs that Fisker mentioned?  From the look of it, they’ll be in Finland rather than in the United States.

My disgust is palpable.

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One thing about electric cars, their silence is golden. Motorists often clamored for old gas-powered vehicles to be silenced but it didn’t seem to work. With their engines, it may be hard back then. But with electric vehicles all that may change now.

Now while that issue may have been resolved. Do remember that not all people may necessarily be giving a thumbs up to this. As far as commuters are concerned, the blind rely on their hearing to cross the street. And with a quiet vehicle, mishaps may happen so what could be a resolution?

It seems that Nissan and Toyota has come up with a solution and it is not irritating to the ear. Rather, it is an artificial sound that blind people can hear whenever an electric vehicle is approaching. To some motorists it may be silly but I guess it won’t be if you talk about safety. No one in his right mind would want to be accountable for accidents, especially if blind people are concerned.

(Source) The Korea Herald

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As new electric cars continue to flourish and come out one by one, how much they would cost is the prime concern for most motorists. Basing it from the initial prices set out in the market, they are not that cheap. And now, the next best thing to do right now is to compare and see which electric car can fit into their budget and deliver their transport needs.

REVA initially made the headlines when it unveiled its electric car in India last February. And now, that same company reveals the price for its REVA NXG which is scheduled to go into full production by 2010. Average prices in Europe, will be around 14,995 EUROS for the lithium-ion NXR Intercity version, plus a monthly mobility fee for the batteries and other services.The REVA NXG pricing in Europe, excluding batteries is from 23,000 euros plus a monthly mobility fee.

The REVA falls under the M1 category three door, four seater hatchback family and can reach a top speed of 104 KPH and a range of 160 KMS. They boast of a keyless entry and operation and will include REVA’s exclusive REVive remote emergency charge.

Check out the gallery below:

(Source) Press

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As far as Audi is concerned, the much heralded coming of the Chevy Volt is made for idiots. This was shared to the media by Audi President Johan de Nysschen, referring to the hybrid car as overpriced and no better than a Toyota Corolla. The rumored price for the Chevy Volt was said to be around $40,000.00.

The Chevy Volt is expected to be categorized in the company of cars priced in the $25,000.00 mark. However, a lot of criticism is being raised at the moment, waiting to see if the Chevy Volt can really be a car choice for people looking towards new electric cars coming out in the market. Will the Chevy Volt succeed? All we can do is wait and see once this GM hybrid car hits the automotive market.

Image courtesy: Auto Blog Green

(Source) Tech Whack

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With the shift towards electric cars still apparent, the buck doesn’t stop there. Apparently the need to properly monitor that charging of vehicles will somehow become a need in the near future and Ford is getting its act ready for such a scenario. And to spearhead their efforts, Ford launches the Intelligent Charging System for hybrid cars which will allow cars to communicate with the electrical grids.

Under this scenario, the driver or the car owner can easily control the charging station and choose when the car charges, how long it takes and at the rate it charges. Similar to how most motorists are trying to control their fuel consumption, this device aims to control the electric consumption of cars for a longer and smoother ride.

This Ford Intelligent Charging System will first show up in the all-electric Transit Connect commercial van and then the Focus Hybrid in 2011.

(Source) Slashgear

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Energy Secretary Steven Chu has proposed that research and development on cars that run on hydrogen fuel cells should be terminated. This goes against a spending bill approved by the House and scheduled for a Senate vote this week, which brings the budget up to $204 million.

Chu says that it’s more realistic to spend more time and money on technologies such as electric cars and improved internal-combustion engines.

Personally, I believe Chu has the right idea; we should really be looking towards the future, and not the immediate past. Maybe we should be giving all of this research money to Tesla Coil, if anything.

via Wall Street Journal

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The electric car is all the rave these days. And while we have seen a lot of concept cars in the making, many compare it to the route of the Apollo Programs’ Lunar Rover which took years to complete. In the same way, electric cars are still a bit lagging and one derivative is cost. However, most critics feel that pricing structures may be a hindrance, especially if the current economic situation does not improve. For example, would you pay over $15,000 for an electric car?

“What people overlook is that accomplishing ‘big picture’ programs like Apollo require accepting the concept of unlimited spending to achieve the mission,” says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the industry authority Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “Current levels of unprecedented federal spending notwithstanding, electric cars are not an exclusive answer to future transportation challenges and consumers will not be willing to buy them at all costs.”

The primary culprit is not the car. Automakers in the 1990s proved they could produce full-function electric vehicles offering the attributes that most drivers expect, although with limited driving range of about 100 miles or so. What they couldn’t do was replace a gas tank with an advanced battery pack that cost less than $20,000 to $30,000. Extraordinarily high battery cost is why we’re seeing newly-announced battery electric sedans with a retail cost of $45,000 to $55,000.

(Source) Press

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At least for one year, new Hyundai car owners can worry less about the fluctuating prices of fuel thanks to this partnership between Hyundai and Pricelock. Pricelock and Hyundai have joined together to implement a new program which will lock the price of fuel to $1.49 per gallon for a year on select new car models under the Hyundai brand.

This event promises to help spur car sales in the midst of a faltering market that is being affected by the governing fuel prices which have made motorists ponder about alternatives (such as hybrids and electric cars). But with a year of no worries in price fuel, the program may just work. Also, who knows what would happen after a year’s time on the fuel issues plaguing the world today?

For the Hyundai program, Pricelock will issue car buyers fuel cards, similar to credit cards, which drivers will use to purchase gasoline at any of the 165,000 participating gas stations, approximately 93% of all service stations in the U.S. Using the Pricelock card, the car buyer will be charged $1.49 per gallon for fuel, regardless of the price on the pump. Of course, if the pump price is below $1.49 per gallon, the cardholder will not use the fuel card, but instead will pay the lower pump price using cash or a credit or debit card and still be able to participate in the upside.

(Source) Press

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T3 Motion unveils the latest addition to the growing roster of electric cars offered in the market. T3 Motion lifts the covers on the CT3 Electric Vehicle that is based on the CT Micro Car. T3 Motion Inc. is not a new player in the electric car market. In fact, it has made a good account for itself, acknowledged as a global leader in Electric Vehicle Design, Battery Technology and Power Management Systems.

A version of the CT3 is competing for the Progressive Automotive X Prize in the Alternative Vehicle Class. The “CT3-S” is specifically designed and engineered to be capable of speeds up to 80 miles per hour yet delivering the energy equivalent of over 100 miles per gallon.

“We are very honored to be competing in the Progressive Automotive X Prize. It is energizing for T3 Motion, Inc. to be alongside so many different interpretations of creating the 100 mile per gallon car,” said Ki Nam, T3 Motion, Inc. C.E.O. “With electricity being the most readily available source of fuel today, our zero gas emission CT3-S exemplifies the ‘real world’ opportunities electric vehicles have both today and in the future.”

(Source) Press

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With the tentative approval of its loan application for $16 million, Nissan Motors is inching closer to opening their plant that will be responsible in the manufacturing of all-electric cars over in Tucson and Phoenix. Once the said loan is finally approved, the plant will be serving all-electric cars which is certainly among the viable options that motorists are being advised to consider to date.

The Pima Association of Governments plans to lead the building of a local network of public charging stations. The project is due to start here in late 2010 with cars built in Japan and switch in 2012 to cars made at the Smyrna, Tenn., plant.

(Source) AZStartnet

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Impressed in its recent trip from Japan, European car maker Volkswagen is reportedly mulling a possible 10% stake in Suzuki. Apparently, the market penetration of the Japanese car manufacturer into India is what caught Volkswagen’s eye, something that they have not been successful at to date.

This should be good news for Suzuki considering that they needs all the help they can get financially although some terms of that area may possibly need further elaboration. But whatever happens, you can bet that this potential investment or partnership can be a good one for both of them.

In late May 2009, VW said that it was mulling cooperation with the Chinese company BYD to build hybrid or electric cars.

(Source) Steel Guru

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We have seen pictures and some great reviews. But for some people, seeing is believing and with moving pictures, GM Volt followers can now get an idea on how the GM Volt actually started.

One thing that is fascinating is the manufacturing process of certain vehicles. However, it should be noted that the GM Volt is no ordinary car. Remember that it is the much ballyhooed electric car that GM has for the growing market of electric cars.

Hence, these new pre-production videos showcase the first units that have rolled off. Most of these vehicles will be used for the testing and validation of production and design. They will also be used to develop the final software and controls, including the way that the driver interacts with the vehicle.

(Source) Press

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The need is there and the forecasts are being made. As far as the needs of electric cars, charging stations are bound to be the next demand in the motoring industry, something that has already started but is way off from covering the needs of the projected number of electric cars expected to be out in the market.

As far as the Pike Research is concerned, there will be over 5 million charging stations up, obviously foreseeing the major influx of electric cars running around in the streets by then.

“While electric vehicles will be primarily charged at home, a strong funding push by governments will mean that more than half of all charge points will be public charging stations by 2015,” says industry analyst John Gartner. “Retailers will also install public access stations primarily as a marketing tool, and many companies will also offer workplace charging stations for their employees.”

Indeed, people can satisfy themselves for now with a one-time charge. But the next question is up to where can they go? Most electric cars today have a specified mileage depending on the charging capacity and unlike fueled cars, charging stations just in case of extended road trips is obviously lacking. Then again, who knows if they will be that plenty come 2015? We can only wait and see.

(Source) Press

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